The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 436
Of thousands that had struck anointed kings
And flourish'd after, I'ld not do't; but since
Nor brass nor stone nor parchment bears not one,
Let villany itself forswear't. I must
Forsake the court: to do't, or no, is certain
To me a break-neck. Happy star, reign now!
Here comes Bohemia.
Re-enter POLIXENES
Oh unfortunate lady! But, as for me,
what sort of position am I in? I must poison
good Polixenes, and my reason for it
is to obey my master, who,
being tormented in his mind
wants all his household to be so too. If I do this,
I will get advancement. Even if I could find examples
of thousands who had fought against chosen kings
and prospered afterwards, I would not do it; but since
neither brass nor stone nor parchment shows a single one,
let the evil stop. I must
leave the court: to do it or not, either way
I'm certain to be hanged. Guardian angel, help me now!
Here comes Bohemia.
POLIXENES
This is strange: methinks
My favour here begins to warp. Not speak?
Good day, Camillo.
This is strange: I feel
that my welcome here has cooled. Not talking?
Good day, Camillo.
CAMILLO
Hail, most royal sir!
Greetings, most royal sir!
POLIXENES
What is the news i' the court?
What's the news in the court?
CAMILLO
None rare, my lord.
Nothing unusual, my lord.
POLIXENES
The king hath on him such a countenance
As he had lost some province and a region
Loved as he loves himself: even now I met him
With customary compliment; when he,
Wafting his eyes to the contrary and falling
A lip of much contempt, speeds from me and
So leaves me to consider what is breeding
That changeth thus his manners.
The king has got a face on him
as if he had lost some province, an area
he loved as much as he loves himself: just now I met him
with the usual politeness; he,
rolling his eyes away and curling
his lip in contempt, sped away from me and
left me wondering what is going on
that has changed his attitude so much.
CAMILLO
I dare not know, my lord.
I wouldn't dare to guess, my lord.
POLIXENES
How! dare not! do not. Do you know, and dare not
Be intelligent to me? 'tis thereabouts;
For, to yourself, what you do know, you must.
And cannot say, you dare not. Good Camillo,
Your changed complexions are to me a mirror
Which shows me mine changed too; for I must be
A party in this alteration, finding
Myself thus alter'd with 't.
What's this! Dare not! Do not. You know
and don't dare to tell me? That's the case.
You wouldn't say that you dare not tell yourself,
so it must be that you dare not tell me. Good Camillo,
the change in your face is like a mirror
which shows that mine has changed too; I must
be involved in this change in some way
as it affects me so much.
CAMILLO
There is a sickness
Which puts some of us in distemper, but
I cannot name the disease; and it is caught
Of you that yet are well.
There is an illness
which makes some of us mad, but
I can't tell you what the disease is; and it is caught
from healthy people like you.
POLIXENES
How! caught of me!
Make me not sighted like the basilisk:
I have look'd on thousands, who have sped the better
By my regard, but kill'd none so. Camillo,--
As you are certainly a gentleman, thereto
Clerk-like experienced, which no less adorns
Our gentry than our parents' noble names,
In whose success we are gentle,--I beseech you,
If you know aught which does behove my knowledge
Thereof to be inform'd, imprison't not
In ignorant concealment.
What! Caught from me!
Don't talk as if I kill with a look like a basilisk:
I have looked at thousands, who have been improved
through seeing me, but never killed one. Camillo–
as you are certainly a gentleman,
and also a man of learning, which is just as fitting
in a gentleman as the noble ancestry
which makes us noble through inheritance–I beg you,
if you know anything which you think
you ought to tell me, don't keep me in the dark.
CAMILLO
I may not answer.
I can't answer you.
POLIXENES
A sickness caught of me, and yet I well!
I must be answer'd. Dost thou hear, Camillo,
I conjure thee, by all the parts of man
Which honour does acknowledge, whereof the least
Is not this suit of mine, that thou declare
What incidency thou dost guess of harm
Is creeping toward me; how far off, how near;
Which way to be prevented, if to be;
If not, how best to bear it.
A sickness caught from me, and yet I'm healthy!
This must be explained. Are you listening, Camillo,
I order you, with all the parts of your soul
which listens to honour, and my request
it is not the least honourable thing, that you tell me
what threat it is that you think
is approaching me; how near or far it is;
how I can stop it, if I can;
if I can't, how I can cope with it.
CAMILLO
Sir, I will tell you;
Since I am charged in honour and by him
That I think honourable: therefore mark my counsel,
Which must be even as swiftly follow'd as
I mean to utter it, or both yourself and me
Cry lost, and so good night!
Sir, I will tell you,
since an appeal has been made to my honour
by one whom I think honourable: so, listen to my advice,
which must be followed as soon as I have
said it, otherwise both you and I
will be lost, and that will be the end!
POLIXENES
On, good Camillo.
Go on, good Camillo.
CAMILLO
I am appointed him to murder you.
I have been ordered to murder you.
POLIXENES
By whom, Camillo?
By whom, Camillo?
CAMILLO
By the king.
By the king.
POLIXENES
For what?
Why?
CAMILLO
He thinks, nay, with all confidence he swears,
As he had seen't or been an instrument
To vice you to't, that you have touch'd his queen
Forbiddenly.
He thinks, in fact he is so confident he swears,
as if he had seen it or been the person
he forced you to do it, that you have touched his queen
adulterously.
POLIXENES
O, then my best blood turn
To an infected jelly and my name
Be yoked with his that did betray the Best!
> Turn then my freshest reputation to
A savour that may strike the dullest nostril
Where I arrive, and my approach be shunn'd,
Nay, hated too, worse than the great'st infection
That e'er was heard or read!
If that's true by my healthy blood turn
into diseased jelly and may my name
be linked with that of Judas!
May my fragrant reputation be turned
to a stench that disgusts the least sensitive nose
when I appear, and may I be rejected,
no, hated as well, worse than the worst disease
that was ever heard of or read about!
CAMILLO
Swear his thought over
By each particular star in heaven and
By all their influences, you may as well
Forbid the sea for to obey the moon
As or by oath remove or counsel shake
The fabric of his folly, whose foundation
Is piled upon his faith and will continue
The standing of his body.
You can swear that he is wrong
by each individual star in heaven and
by all their properties, you might as well
try and stop the sea obeying the moon
as try through swearing or advice to
destroy the building of his foolishness, whose foundation
rests on his faith, and will last
as long as he lives.
POLIXENES
How should this grow?
How did this come about?
CAMILLO
I know not: but I am sure 'tis safer to
Avoid what's grown than question how 'tis born.
If therefore you dare trust my honesty,
That lies enclosed in this trunk which you
Shall bear along impawn'd, away to-night!
Your followers I will whisper to the business,
And will by twos and threes at several posterns
Clear them o' the city. For myself, I'll put
My fortunes to your service, which are here
By this discovery lost. Be not uncertain;
For, by the honour of my parents, I
Have utter'd truth: which if you seek to prove,
I dare not stand by; nor shall you be safer
Than one condemn'd by the king's own mouth, thereon
His execution sworn.
I do not know: but I do know that it's better
to avoid it now it's happened than to ask what started it.
So, if you dare to trust my honesty,
that is contained within this body which you
shall take along with you as a sign of my good faith, flee tonight!
I will secretly tell your followers what's going on,
and they can sneak out of the city in little groups
at different gates. As for me, I'll
enter into your service, as by telling you this
I have lost my position here. Don't stop to wonder;
I swear on my parents' honour, I
have told you the truth: if you try to test it,
I do not stay to see it; and you will be in as much danger
as one condemned on the king's orders, when
he has sworn to have you executed.
POLIXENES
I do believe thee:
I saw his heart in 's face. Give me thy hand:
Be pilot to me and thy places shall
Still neighbour mine. My ships are ready and
My people did expect my hence departure
Two days ago. This jealousy
Is for a precious creature: as she's rare,
Must it be great, and as his person's mighty,
Must it be violent, and as he does conceive
He is dishonour'd by a man which ever
Profess'd to him, why, his revenges must
In that be made more bitter. Fear o'ershades me:
Good expedition be my friend, and comfort
The gracious queen, part of his theme, but nothing
Of his ill-ta'en suspicion! Come, Camillo;
I will respect thee as a father if
Thou bear'st my life off hence: let us avoid.
I do believe you:
I saw his feelings in his face. Give me your hand:
be my guide and you shall have a position
to match mine. My ships are ready and
my people were expecting me to leave here
two days ago. This jealousy
is for a lovely creature: as she is rare,
it must be great, and as he is great,
it must be violent, and as he believes
he has been dishonoured by a man who always
said he was his friend, why then his revenge
will be made more bitter because of it. Fear hangs over me:
may I make a speedy escape, and may
his ill founded suspicions be just as quickly lifted from his queen
who is such an undeserving victim of them! Come, Camillo,
I will respect you like a father if
you can save my life. Let's escape!
CAMILLO
It is in mine authority to command
The keys of all the posterns: please your highness
To take the urgent hour. Come, sir, away.
Exeunt
I have the authority to command
that the gates be unlocked: your Highness
should move quickly. Come, sir, let's go.
SCENE I. A room in LEONTES' palace.
Enter HERMIONE, MAMILLIUS, and Ladies
HERMIONE
Take the boy to you: he so troubles me,
'Tis past enduring.
Take the boy with you: he pesters me so much,
it's intolerable.
First Lady
Come, my gracious lord,
Shall I be your playfellow?
Come on, my gracious lord,
shall I be your playmate?
MAMILLIUS
No, I'll none of you.
No, I want nothing to do with you.
First Lady
Why, my sweet lord?
Why not, my sweet lord?
MAMILLIUS
You'll kiss me hard and speak to me as if
I were a baby still. I love you better.
Because you kiss me roughly and speak to me as if
I was still a baby. I like you better.
Second Lady
And why so, my lord?
And why is that my lord?
MAMILLIUS
Not for because
Your brows are blacker; yet black brows, they say,
Become some women best, so that there be not
Too much hair there, but in a semicircle
Or a half-moon made with a pen.
Not because
you have blacker eyebrows; although they say
that black eyebrows suit some women best, as long as there's not
too much hair there, just a semicircle
or a half moon drawn on with a pen.
Second Lady
Who taught you this?
Who told you this?
MAMILLIUS
I learnt it out of women's faces. Pray now
What colour are your eyebrows?
I learned it from looking at women. Now tell me,
what colour are your eyebrows?
First Lady
Blue, my lord.
Blue, my lord.
MAMILLIUS
Nay, that's a mock: I have seen a lady's nose
That has been blue, but not her eyebrows.
No, you're joking with me: I have seen a lady
with a blue nose, but not with blue eyebrows.
First Lady
Hark ye;
The queen your mother rounds apace: we shall
Present our services to a fine new prince
One of these days; and then
you'ld wanton with us,
If we would have you.
You listen to me;
the queen, your mother, has a quickly swelling belly: we shall
offer our services to a fine new prince
one of these days; and then you'll want to play with us,
if we would let you.
Second Lady
She is spread of late
Into a goodly bulk: good time encounter her!
She's recently expanded
to a good size: may it all turn out well!
HERMIONE
What wisdom stirs amongst you? Come, sir, now
I am for you again: pray you, sit by us,
And tell 's a tale.
What are you all talking about? Come on, sir, now
I have time for you again: please, sit with me,
and tell me a story.
MAMILLIUS
Merry or sad shall't be?
A happy one or a sad one?
HERMIONE
As merry as you will.
As happy as you like.
MAMILLIUS
A sad tale's best for winter: I have one
Of sprites and goblins.
A sad story's best for winter: I have one
about ghosts and goblins.
HERMIONE
Let's have that, good sir.
Come on, sit down: come on, and do your best
To fright me with your sprites; you're powerful at it.
Let's hear that, good sir.
Come on, sit down: come on, and do your best
to frighten me with your ghosts; you're good at it.
MAMILLIUS
There was a man--
There was a man–
HERMIONE
Nay, come, sit down; then on.